Divergence | Wicked Weed Brewing

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Notes / Commercial Description:
Divergence is Bourbon Barrel Aged Sour Porter. This porter was barrel aged on brett for 8 months and blended onto dry processed coffee post barrel aging. This beer's flavor is a beautiful blend of a soft tartness and maltiness with a hint of coffee on the end.

Opaque dark brown color with a small tight foam head, light brown in color... Aroma is tart meets coffee with orange spice, some vanilla bourbon wood musk scents. Clean overall with a large variety of aromas working surprisingly well together. Cocoa and fruity orange/cherry, touch of white wine perhaps... Taste is immediately tart, acidic, then smooths into a woody, dusty, coffee situation. Still the tartness holds on through the finish. Very interesting combination of flavors. I've never had anything quite like it. The porter qualities come through mostly in the nose and the latter half of the flavor. Again very interesting. Once acclimated to the acidity things become quite pleasant. Mouthfeel is effervescent-like. Very light and fluffy. Seemingly not porter-typical but certainly enjoyable.

Poured from the bottle into a Wicked Weed glass. It is black as night with a nice off white head. The head last a little, then slowly dies down with some lacing. You smell tart cherries, some of the barrel, and a hint of coffee. At first sip, you don't get much coffee. But as it warms, you get more coffee and some chocolate. Real smooth and sour.

T - Same as the nose. Coffee is a bit more pronounced. And the tart cherry is dominant throughout - almost a warming characteristic because of it. There's so much going on in this. I feel like the bourbon might be getting lost a bit. It's very subtle on the finish. Some oak and vanilla. Just dirtying it up a bit.

O - I remember having this a few times in the past - on tap at WW and from the bottle once before. Never was all that impressed with it. I'm really liking it tonight though. There's a lot going on, but for the most part, everything plays very nicely together. A nice sipper. But it's going down super easy.

Very dark brown beneath a lush, creamy head. First sniff of the bottle before pouring smells sour - no Porter notes to be found. After settling into the glass, I'm surprised to find the coffee making its presence known more than I would have thought, tartness slipping more to the background. Vanilla, chocolate orange, coffee with cream, and cherries. Barrel comes through more as it warms up. The flavor allows the tartness to come through full force, all berries and cherries, before the coffee and cocoa come in to round things out. Pretty interesting. Somehow, it doesn't just come across as an infected Porter, which is what I was afraid of. Instead, the base beer is suppressed and a lovely berry tartness comes forward and compliments the moderate coffee bean roast. Bretty funk, nuts, and very subtle woody vanilla notes from the Bourbon barrels. All this in a dry, not quite puckering, medium-light bodied package that stays super drinkable. I'm not really comfortable calling this one a Porter, but whatever it is, it's delightful!